Easy Halloween Decorations ~ Painted Jars and Stick Tree

I love making decorations from things I have around the house. 

My kids love crafting so making something with stuff heading for the recycling bin is a 

win-win.

Grab some cans, old coffee jars or used plant pots in the garden and make them into little Halloween masterpieces.

Spray paint (or paint with acrylic and a brush if you prefer) your jars, cans and pots in the colours of your choice. 

Use Acrylic craft paint to add some Halloween faces.

For some face inspiration check out all the printable pumpkin stencils at printablee.com 

Faces Here

Pop in some plants and now you have your own Spooky Garden!!

Or you can use one of your jars, cans or pots as a base for your Halloween Stick Tree.

Again, I am openly mocked by my family for my constant stick gathering but sticks are awesome! And Free! And looking for sticks gets you out exercising in nature so sticks rule!

I spray painted my stick collection black and orange.

To keep the sticks from wobbling or spreading out too far I used a toilet roll and paper to stabilise the sticks. 

If you don't like to paint, an easy way to add some sparkle to the base of your tree is to wrap Halloween garland around the bottom of your sticks then put them in a clear jar. 

Pop on some lights (I got these battery operated strands at Kmart) and Voila! Halloween Tree!

Spooky Cute Collection

 

I am SO excited to share my new pattern made especially for the readers of Hallozween Magazine ~ For Australians who LOVE Halloween as much as I do!

You can download the pattern for Free

HERE

I kept the stitches simple so this is great for beginners and kids. 

If you aren't sure about a stitch there are a gazillion instructional videos on YouTube.

One of my favourite YouTubers is Dano Does Things. She teaches many of the stitches

In This Video

If using a needle and thread is really not your thing you can always make paper versions.

Whether you go with stitched felt or papers ornaments, your Halloween tree will look super Spooky Cute!!!

This Custom Life ~ Patchwork Hummingbird

 My lovely friend, Cameron, from high school has a wonderful website with all kinds of resources for blended families.

A few years back we got together to make a pattern for her adorable logo, a Patchwork Hummingbird.

I wanted to share the pattern so you can make this cute little Patchwork Hummingbird too!

Download for Free

HERE

Dano Does Things

 I am SUPER EXCITED about this post!! I love a good YouTube tutorial. I use them for everything from new stitches to fixing the oven.

One lucky day I came across @danodoesthings and there were loads of Oooos and Ahhhhs watching Dano’s tutorials. I reached out and Happy Days = Collaboration!!!

Dano has made the coolest video making my Fairywren! I made my husband wake up and watch it at 4am I was so happy.

Thank you @danodoesthings 💙💙💙 and y’all make sure to check out all the Dano Does Things tutorials on YouTube!! 

Dano Does Things YouTube

Alice's Thrush

One of my favourite things about social media is getting to know new, creative people through Instagram, Facebook groups and Etsy. I've been on both the sending and receiving end of messages of thanks for inspiration and encouragement. I know the internet can bring out the ugly but there is a pretty great community out there as well.

I got to know Laura when she took on the first pattern in my Nativity series, Mary and Baby Jesus and posted her beautiful work in one of our mutual Facebook crafting groups.

When Laura wrote to me about her work with the Kennicott Girl's Club I was super excited to get involved. The Club in Glenview, Illinois focuses on mixing pioneer history and STEM activities for girls. I love history but STEM subjects were always a massive struggle for me until I had professors who were passionate and showed me different ways to learn. Put STEM and Girls together and I am in! You can read more about the club from the Chicago Tribune HERE

Kennicott House 2010 from Wikipedia

I lived in Chicago for ten years but besides some work in Evanston or a few getaways to Lakeside, Michigan, I hardly ever ventured out of the city limits. If I could go back I would definitely check out the Kennicott Homestead in Glenview where the girl's club meets. Established by physician John Kennicott in the 1800s, The Grove became a great place for Dr Kennicott's children to learn all about nature. His daughter, Alice, found an unusual bird. The children sent a specimen to the Smithsonian and the bird was named Turdus Aliciae aka Alice's Thrush. 

This brings me to my project for the girls. I love birds and I really love making embroidered birds out of felt. Laura told me about Alice and her bird discovery and I started getting a pattern together. I am so excited she asked me to be involved and I am so happy to present my new pattern, Alice's Thrush. 

You can download Alice's Thrush Pattern for free via this link.

I can't wait to see creations from you and the girls at Kennicott Girl's Club. 

Palms and Stables

For those of you working on the Nativity patterns I wanted to share some display ideas. 

I wanted to make a stable to display my Nativity but my wood working skills are subpar at best. I had about a gazillion cardboard boxes laying around, loads of dried out sticks in the back yard (I am constantly making my kids pick up sticks for one craft project or another) and my trusty glue gun. Cardboard stable, here we come! 

I got a whole lot of inspiration from this tutorial from Bright Apple Bottom

DIY Stable

Here is a better view without any of the Nativity figures. It was really pretty easy. I started by gluing two pieces of cardboard together on a 90 degree angle. The back piece I cut on a slant to make for a pointy roof. I glued that to a small box that became the floor, added a roof and a little "porch" type area. Everywhere there was a seam I hot glued a stick over the seam. One curvy stick became the holder of my star. Once the glue was dry and dry brushed on some brown paint, added a little string of copper lights and voila! A stable! 

Even is you aren't doing the Nativity patterns these cardboard stables can be made small and are very sweet for Peg Dolls. My kids painted these pegs and glittered up the halos. We glued on some preserved reindeer moss. I love these especially because the kiddos helped.

I also thought a few simple palm-esque looking plants would be nice within the Nativity. 

I picked up four shades of green from my scrap bag and cut pointy strips that varied from about 8in (20cm) to 4in (10cm) and blanket stitched each piece together. I stopped stitching where each piece started to taper into a point.

Starting at the longest end, I rolled the strips, nice stitching on the outside, into a tube then stitched in place. 

The longer "fronds" fall over the smaller pieces giving the plants a bit of a palm or long grass look. I had lots of green scraps so cut out some splotches of random sizes and various shades to give the illusion of grass. My hot glue gun was put to use again making a little fence with more of my collected sticks.

I thought the plants and fence added a little something nice to the aesthetic outside the stable. 

I would LOVE to see how you display your Nativity! 

If you post any on Instagram or Facebook please add #elliottsplayground.

Seeing your creations brings me so much joy! Thank you to all of you for creating with me!! 

 

Nativity Star

I wanted to pop together a few extra bits and pieces for those of you who are working on the Nativity. I thought we could start with the Star.

You can Download the template and Supply List

HERE

A quick stitch list!

Always use two strands of floss.

Blanket around the edges.

Fern Stitch from the points of the star in the middle and the valleys of the two middle stars as well.

French knots 

Lazy Daisies and Straight stitches in the smallest star.

My original plan was to have my Nativity set under the tree (just like Mom used to do) and hang the star from the lowest branch but my Nativity grew a bit too big.

I ended up glittering a small cardboard box and bamboo skewer and placing the Star in the back. 

I also went on a mini star making kick and when I make my next Nativity set I think I will pop in some small groups of stars as well as the big star.

Making a garland to drape behind the Nativity scene could be really pretty too! Please let me know if you have any other fun ideas!